Battery-alternator for ignition systems of internal-combustion engines.



F. R. HOYT.

BATTERY ALTERNATOR FOR IGNITION SYSTEMS OF INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 2. 1915.

1,168,639. E Patented Jan.18, 1916.

3 SHEETSSHEET l.

WITNESSES IIVVENTOR -M [Z I! @f/ zyz/ ATTORNEYS F. R. HOYT.

BATTERY ALTERNATOR FOR IGNITION SYSTEMS OF INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 2, 1915.

1,168,639. Patented Jan. 18, 1916.

3 SHEETSISHEET 2.

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I 4g 4 mm m Hiiilm. M if" 1 r F1 T T'F u mmlll 40 J7 10 14 WITNESSES 5 I 4 47 P ALE/V705 /fl%/0 1 3.9 38 dmMAQy v Q WW ATTORNEYS F. R. HOYT.

BATTERY ALTERNATOR FOR IGNITION SYSTEMS OF INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES. APPLICATION FILED FEB 2, I9I5.

1 168.,639. Patented Jan. 18, 1916.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3.

WITNESSES p l/VVIE/VTOR 5 6 mm I Wp.%W I V BI Q Z/mdm I ATTORNEYS time snares WERE FRANCIS R. HOYT, OF EAST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR T0 SIMMS MAGNE'IQ COMPANY, 015 EAST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

BATTERY-ALTERNATOR FOR IGNITION SYSTEMS 0F INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. is, rare.

Application filed February 2, 1915. Serial No. 5,602.

nal-Combustion Engines; and I do hereby.

declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention consists in the novel fea tures hereinafter described, reference being had to the accompanying drawings which illustrate one embodiment of the invention selected by me for purposes'of illustration,

and the said invention is fully disclosed. in

the following description and claims.

Referring to the said drawings, Figure 1 represents a vertical sectional view of an apparatus embodying my invention which I have selected for the purpose of illustrating the same, this preferred form of apparatus comprising a circuit breaker for the primary circuit, mechanism for alternately reversing the direction of the primary circuit through the contacts of the contact breaker, and a distributor for the secondary circuit. Fig. 2 is an end view of the apparatus taken from the end nearest the distributer forthe secondary circuit. Fig. 3 represents a transverse sectional view of the apparatus on line of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows in saidfigure, and showing the alternator disk in elevation. tact breaker disk. showing the location of the brushes which engage the face of the alternator disk shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a' transverse sectional "iew of the apparatus on line 5-5 of Fig. 1 looking in the direc-- tion of the arrows, and showing the contact breaker in elevation with the cont-acts closed. Fig. 6 is a similar view showing the contacts separated. Fig.7 is a sectional view through the contact breaker on line 77 of Fig. 5 looking in the direction of the arrows, the adjacent parts within the casing being omitted. Fig. 8 is a sectional view on the line 8.8 of Fig. 6, the 'distributerbeing omitted from this figure. Fig. 9 is a detail sectional view on line 99 of Fig. 6, looking in the direction oiv the arrows. Fig. 10

Fig. 4 is a rear elevation of the conis a perspective view illustrating one of the movable contact arms and the parts associated therewith in separated relation. Fig. 11 is a similar perspective view showing the sevoralparts of the alternator disk in separated relation. Fig. 1:2 is a diagram showing the circuits.

in ignition systems for internal combustion engines in which the current for pro ducing the spark is obtained from a battery or accumulators, it is customary to provide an induction coil having a primary and a secondary winding, the battery being connected to the primary winding through a contact breaker operated by the revolution of the engine crank shaft or other engine driven part so as to break the circuit at the desired intervals in the cycle of the engine. thereby inducing a high tension current in the secondary winding which is transmitted through the secondary circuit to a spark plug and in the case of multicylinder engines, is distributed by means of an engine operated distributer to the spark plugs in the several cylinders at the proper instant in the cycle of the several cylinders; The current from the battery ordinarily passes in the same direction between the contacts of the contact breaker, which are usually platinum, and at the instant of interruption, sparking occurs between the said contacts, the continual discharge of current resulting in a transfer of metal from one of said contacts to the other, usually forming a cavity or pit in the face of one contact and a corresponding projection, upon the face of the opposed contact, and this transfer of metal materially aflects the degree of separation between the contacts. The deterioration of the contacts under the conditions mentioned, therefore, directly affects the production of proper sparks in the engine cylinders, and in some cases prevents the the complete breaking of the circuit and the consequent production of sparks'in the several engine cylinders and the intensity of the spark, it being a known fact that the Lin-3i more quickly and instantaneously the primary circuit is broken, the greater the voltage of the induced current in the secondary winding of the induction coil.

My invention contemplates the provision of means for reversing; the direction of the battery current between the opposed con.- tacts of the contact breaker, preferably at each separation of the contacts, thereby positively preventing the transfer of metal from one contact to the other and preservingthe opposed faces on said contacts against deterioration, and secondly maintaining them always at the required distance apart when they are fully separated so that a uniform spark is produced in each of the engine cylinders. I prefer to locate this current reversing device, which for convcnience of reference ll term the alternator, in the primary circuit of the induction coil between the battery and the contact breaker so that the current is reversed between the contacts of the contact breaker, while passing always in the same direction through the primary winding of the induction coil and the rotating portion of the alternator, which is driven from the engine, and is so timed that the reversing of the circuit connections by the alternator will occur always while the contacts of the contact breaker are separated, and'when, consequently, no current is passing through the circuit. Therefore, there is no interruption of the current by the alternator and no possibility of sparking between the brushes and the contact faces of the alternator when the reversal of the circuit connections takes place.

My invention also contemplates the use, in conjunction with such alternating mechanism of an improved 'form of circuit breaker in which both contacts are movable and are simultaneously actuated so as to move them away from each other, thus enabling the contacts to be separated with twicethe rapidity that would be possible were only one contact movable, breaking; the primary circuit more quickly, and securing a higher voltage in the secondary winding", and at the same time reducing the liability of sparking across the contacts of the circuit breaker to a minimum, which further tends to preserve the opposed faces of the contacts.

lily invention also contemplates in its preferred embodiment herein shown and described, a unitary apparatus comprising the said alternating mechanism, contact breaker, and a distributer, the rotary parts of which are mounted on a common shaft within a suitable casing, means being" provided for adjusting the circuit breaker with respect to its actuating mechanism so as to advance or retard the spark, in this instance, by partially rotating the casing, to which the nonrotating" portion of the circuit breaker is attached, in one direction or the other.

lvly invention also contemplates certain details of construction and combination of parts hereinafter described.

Referring to the embodiment of my invention shown in the accompanying drawings, 1 represents a shaft which is to be operated by the internal combustion engine and which, in this instance, is provided with a socket 2 adapted .to be placed in engagement with a shaft 3 connected. with or operated by the engine, and secured thereto by one or more set screws t. ltfounted upon the shaft 1 is a shell or casing 5. preferably formed of brass, ball bearings 6, 7, or other suitable bearings being provided between the shaft and casing, the bearing, 6 being), lo cated at the inner end of the casing, and the bearing 7 being located in a disk 8 secured within the 01151118, and engaging an annular shouldered portion 9 therein. .ll founted on the shaft 1 adjacent to the hear ing 6 is a part which ll term the alternator disk, a face view of which is illustrated in Fig. 3, and which is shown in detail in 11. This disk preferably comprises the following members, to wit,-a metallic disk 10 having a central aperture somewhat larger than the portion of the shaft upon which the disk is mounted, and which receives one end 11 of a bushing; 12, the other end 13 of which extends through the central aperture of a contact plate .14 which is preferably of the form shown in Figs. 3 and 11, of unequal diameters, the portions 11 and 13 of the bushing being of smaller diameter than the central portion 12 so as to form shoulders, which accurately space the disk 10 and contact plate 14%.

15 represents a second Contact plate which is in the form of a disk of the same diameter as the disk 10, provided with a centrally disposed aperture 16 (see Fig. 11), which is of the same shape as that of the contact plate 14, but suiiiciently larger to form a narrow space between the two contact plates when the plate 15 is placed around the plate 14-.

17 represents a disk of insulating material which is provided with a central aperture through which the bushing 12 passes, said disk having its rear face constructed to engage the face of the plate 16, while its outer face is provided with a thin projecting rib 18 adapted to fit in the space between the contact plates let and 15, as shown in Fig. 53 and to have its outer face flush with the faces of said contact plates. in the manufacture of this composite alternator disk, I prefer to provide contact plate 15 with pins 19 passing through holes 20 provided in the plate 15, having their inner ends undercut or-headed, and to form the insulating disk 17 with its ridge 18 of plastic vulcanizable material in which the pins 19 are embedded, while the material is in a plastic state, so that when the plastic material is vulcanized, the parts will be firmly united and the plastic material will adhereto the inner faces of the metal parts. The alternator disk so formed is preferably provided with an insulating bushing 21 which extends through the central aperture in the metallic bushing 12, and is provided at its front face with a flanged portion 22which is secured to the disk by screws or otherwise, to prevent its rotating with respect thereto, and the bushing 21 is preferably provided with a key seat to engage a key on the shaft, as shown in Fig. 1, for securing the alternator disk to the shaft 1 for rotation therewith. Circuit connections with the contact plates 14 and 15 of the alternator disk are conveniently made by means of brushes 23'and 24, ,preferably spring actuated carbon blocks carried in sockets 25 and '26, secured within the shell or casing 5,;asshown in Fig. 1, and having posts 27 and 28 projecting through the wall of said shell or casingto which the circuit wires can be attached in any desired manner, the brush 23 bearing upon the periphery of the metallic disk 10, which is in electrical connection with the contact plate 14 through the metallic bushing 12, while the brush 24 engages the periphery ofthe contact plate 15. The contact plates 14 and 15 are so formed that if a pair of brushes located at 90 apart and at substantially the same distance from the axis of rotation of the shaft 1 are caused to bear against the faces of the said contact plates, each of said brushes will pass, across the insulating rib 18 at each quarter turn of the disk and will pass from one of the contact plates 14'15 to the other, thereby reversing the direction of the current through the apparatus as hereinafter described.

Adjacent to the alternator disk, and within the casing 5 of the apparatus, is located the contact breaker which comprises preferably a pair of movable contact arms and means for simultaneously actuating the said arms to separate the contacts carried thereby. In this instance I have shown the partition disk 8, which is preferably of metal and which carries the bearing 7 before re ferred to, provided with an annular insulated portion 29, which forms with the disk 8, the base plate of the circuit breaker, and which is provided witha central aperture fitting upon a hub 8 secured to the disk 8, the periphery of said insulating base plate 29 fitting within the casing and being socured thereto by screws 30, as shown in Fig.

1. The base plate 29 may be made of fiber or vulcanizable material as preferred and said plate and the partition disk 8 are preferably provided with interlocking portions, as shown, to hold them together, or they comprising two curved plate portions connected at one end by a perpendicularly disposed piece 32 which is provided with a threaded aperture to receive a contact screw 33 which is provided with a set nut 34 and the usual platinum contact 35. The opposite ends of the curved plate portions of the contact arms are provided with apertures 36 which engage a stud 37 extending through the base plate and provided in this instance with a socket 38 extending through a recess inthe partition plate 8 and carrying a spring actuated carbon brush 39 which bears against the faces of the contact plates 14 and 15. These brushes are located, as shown in the drawings, at 90 from each other with respect to the axis of rotation of the shaft 1. The curved plate portions of 'each of the con tact arms are spaced at the ends by a metal sleeve 40 through which stud 37 passes, insulating washers 4142 being placed on said studs at opposite sides of the contact arms, and the parts secured in position by means of a cotter pin 43..

44 represents a bearing block which is provided with a portion adapted toextend between the parallel plate portions of the contact arm to form the cam engaging portion situated between the ends of the contact arm, said block being secured to the contact arm by means of rivets, as shown, or other wise, and each of said blocks 44 is provided with a wider portion on the outer side of said arm forming shoulders 45 (see Fig. 10) the exterior face of said block being provided with a recess 46 to receive one end of a bow spring 47 which engages both of said blocks 44 and has its ends bent inward at 48 to prevent the accidental disengagement of the spring, from said blocks. The central portion of the bow spring 47 is held in proper position by means of an insulating. block 49 on a metal stud 50, which is secured to the base plate of the contact breaker, and in this instance, securedto the partition plate 8, as shown in Fig. 1, said block 49 being held in position on the stud 50 by cotter pin 51. -The shaft 1 is provided with a cam 52 provided with diametrically opposite actuating portions 53 for engaging the bearing blocks 44 of the contact arms, said. cam being secured to the shaft 1 by means of a key, as shown, or otherwise, and held from longitudinal movement thereon, in this instance by means of a split ring'54 engaging a groove in the shaft.

Referring more specially to Figs. 5 and 6, it will be seen that when the contact arms 31 are in closed position, the opposed faces of the contacts 35 will meet in a plane indicated by the dotted line m-w and that as the cam rotates so as to bring the pair ,of pivotally disposed actuating portions 53 into engagement with the bearing blocks 44, each of the contact arms 31 will be moved away from the'plane of contact, said arms moving simultaneously and in opposite directions, so that the separation of the contacts 35 is twice as rapid as would be the case where a fixed and movable contact were employed, thus breaking the primary circuit which passes through said contacts, as hereinafter described, more quickly or abruptly than could otherwise be done, and producing an induced current of extremely hlgh potential in the secondary windingof the induction coil. The extremely rapid separation of these contacts also, as before stated, tends to diminish the tendency to are across said contacts, as they are opened with such excessive rapidity beyond a point at which the current may move across the gap.

The bearing blocks 14v which engage the cam are preferably made of a softer material than the contact blocks, being ordinarily made of fiber, and in case of actual wear of the meeting faces of the contacts 35 the hearing blocks will be forced toward the cam to a greater extent and will wear away in proportion to the wear of the contacts, so that the operation of the device is not affected by wear. It will also be seen that when the contacts 35 meet they form a stop for both of the contact arms, limiting their movement in a direction toward the cam so that the bearing blocks 41 are relieved under ordinary circumstances from wear, except when in actual engagement with the actuating portions 53 so that the bearing faces do not tend to wearbeyond the extent permitted by the actual wear of themeeting faces of the contacts 35. In ordinary contact breakers, it is extremely important that the workmanship of the cam and contact lever shall be extremely accurate as slight variations in the bore of the cam or in the assembling of parts would have the effect of advancing or retarding the spark in certain cylinders of the engine. This is not the case with the form of contact breaker herein shown and described, as any eccentricity, for example in the bore of the cam, simply causes the contacts to meet in a plane slightly at one side or the other of the plane indi cated by the dotted line m-m and would not affect the. accurate operation of the device. For this reason, the construction can be manufactured and assembled much more cheaply than is the case where absolute refinement and mathematical accuracy of the parts is essential to the operation thereof.

The contact breaker per 36 which I have shown herein and which I have preferred to use in connection with my invention, is not herein specifically claimed as it forms the subject matter of a separate application for Letters Patent of the United States, filed by me on or about January 29, 1915, and given Serial No. 4980.

The outer end of the shaft 1 is also provided with a rotating distributer which cooperates with contacts carried by a housing 60 secured to the outer end of the casing 5 to distribute the secondary current to the various spark plugs for the several engine cylinders. In this instance the rotating portion of the distributer consists of a dlsk or arm 61 preferably of insulating material provided with a metallic socket 62 carrying a spring pressed carbon brush 63, which is brought successivel into contact with each of four (or more? contacts 64 located in the housing 60, surrounding the distributer 61. In this instance the housing 60 is provided with a binding post 65 centrally located at the outer end of the housing and provided 'with a stem which extends into the housing and engages a spring plate 66 electrically connected to the socket 62 for the brush 63. The housing 60 is preferably constructed so as to fit into the outer end of the casing 5 and is secured therein by suitable screws or in any other desired manner. The casing 65 is also preferably provided with a timing lever 7 0 having means, as an aperture 71 therein, for connecting it with a suitable actuating arm or lever, whereby the entire casing and parts connected therewith can be partially rotated for the purpose of shifting the relative positions of the contact levers, and the actuating portions of the cam 52, to advance or retard the spark, in a well known way.

In Fig. 12, I have shown a diagrammatic View of the circuits in which 75 represents the battery, 76 the primary winding of the induction coil, 77 the secondary winding thereof, and 78 a condenser associated therewith, and 80 represents the spark plugs of the several engine cylinders. In association with these devices, I have illustrated in the diagram the alternator disk, contact breaker, and the distributer hereinbefore described. Tracing the primary circuit in said diagram, it extends from the battery by wire 81 to the brush which engages the disk 15, of the alternator, thence by one of the brushes 39 to one of the contact arms 31 across the contacts 35-35 when the same are in closed relation, to the other contact arm 31, thence to the other brush 39 and through the brush to the contact plate 14, which communicates through the metallic bushing 12 with the disk 10, thence by brush 23 to the primary winding 76 of the induction coil, and thence by return wire 82 to the battery. It will be perfectly obvious that at each quarter revolution of the alternator disk each of the brushes 39 will pass from one of the plates 1415 to the other, thereby reversing the direction of the primary current through.

the contacts 35-35, and thereby entirely preventing the objectionable transfer of metal from one contact to the other hereinbefore referred to. I prefer to provide a hand operated switch, indicated at 83, in the primary circuit, -which can be opened and closed for the purpose of bringing the apparatus into and putting it out of operation. The secondary circuit extends from the secondary winding 7 7 of the induction coil by wire 84 to the binding post of the distributer, and thence by spring 66 to the brush 63, thence to one of the contacts 64, and therefrom bywire 85 to the spark plug, the circuit being completed by grounding through the engine bed or otherwise, as indicated by dotted line 86.

It is to be noted that in my preferred construction the rotary portion of the alternator is timed with respect to the circuit breaker so that the brushes 39 will always pass across the insulating rib 18 between the contact plates 1a and 15 when the contacts 35 of the contact breaker are separated by the actuating portions 53 of the circuit breaker cam 52. Thus, it will .be noted by reference to Fig. 3 that the portions of the insulating rib 18 lying in the path of the brushes 29 are disposed in the lines indicated by the dotted lines-ygz in that figure, and by reference to Fig. '5, which showsthe relative position of the cam 52 of the circuit breaker,"it will be noted that the center of their actuating portions 53 are located in positions indicated by the dotted lines zz corresponding to the lines y-y of Fig. 3, so that at the instant when the brushes 39 cross the insulating rib 18 at any of the four points in the path of said brushes, the correspond'ng actuating portions 53 of the circuit breaker cam will be holding the contacts 35 in separated relation. It follows from this construction that the circuit will have been broken by the contacts 35 before the reversal of the current by the alternator, and consequently no current is flowing through the primary circuit, hence there is no interruption of the circuit by the reversing of the direction of current .therethrough and no danger of sparking when the brushes pass from one of the contact plates 14-15 to the other.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In an ignition system for. internal combustion engines the combination with a single induction coil having primary and secondary windings, a spark plug in circuit with said secondary winding, a contact breaker operatively connected with and operatedby the engine, provided with separable contacts in circuit with the primary Winding, and means for internnttently separating'saidcontacts, of a source of electricity in circuit with said contacts and said pr inary winding, and an alternator operating in timed relation with said contact breaker for. reversing the direction of the current passing between said contacts after each separation thereof. 2. In an ignition system for internal combustion engines, the combination with a contact breaker provided with separable con:-

tacts and means for intermittently separating the same, of a source of electricity in circuit with said contacts, and an alternator for intermittently reversing the direction of the current through said contacts, said alternator being timed to reverse the directlon of current-While said contacts are separated.

3. In an ignition system for internal combustion engines, the combination with a single induction coil provided with primary and secondary windings, a spark plug in circuit with said secondary winding, a contact breaker operatively connected with and operated by the engine provided with separable contacts in circuit with said primary winding, and means for intermittently separating said contacts, of a source of electricity in-circuit with said contacts and said primary winding, and an alternator comprising brushes connected respectively with said contacts, and'a rotary part operatively connected with and driven by the engine in predetermined relation to the contact breaker and provided'with alternating contact portions electrically connected with the opposite poles of the source of electricity for reversing the direction of the current through said contacts after each separation thereof. l 4. In an ignition system for internal'combustion engines, the combination with a coning the same, of a source of electricity in circuit with said contacts, and an alternator comprising brushes connected respectively with said contacts and a rotary part provided. with alternating contact portions for engaging said brushes, said alternating contact portions being electrically connected with the opposite poles of the source of electricity for alternately reversing the direction of the current through said contacts when the contacts are closed, the rotary part of said alternator having a timed relation with the actuating means for separating the contactsof the circuit breaker for reversing the direction of the current while said contacts are in separated relation.

5. In an-ignition system for internal combustion engines, the combination with a circuit breaker comprising rotary and nonrotary parts, one of said parts being provided with separable contacts and'the other of said parts being provided with means for actuating the same to separate said contacts,and a source of electricity in circuit with said contacts, of an alternator for 1ntermittently reversing the direction of current through said contacts, comprising brushes-connected with said contacts and a rotary part\ rovided with alternate contact surfaces separately connected with the opposite poles of the electrical source and arranged to engage said'brushes, and means adapted to be connected with the engine for simultaneouslv actuatingthe rotatable part of said contact breaker and the rotatable part of said alternator. Y

6. .In an ignition system for internal co1nbustion engines, the combination with a cir cuit breaker comprising rotary, and nonrotary parts, one of said parts being provided with separable contacts and the other of said parts being provided with means for actuating the same to separate said'coir tacts, and a source of electricity in circuit with said contacts, of an alternator for intermittently reversing the direction of current through said contacts comprising brushes connected with said contacts, and a rotary part provided with alternate contact surfaces separately connected with the opposite poles of the electrical source and arranged to engage said brushes, and means.

adapted to be connected with the engine for simultaneously actuating the rotatable partof said contact breaker and the rotatable part of said alternator, said rotary parts belng timed with respect to the actuating means therefor so that the respective brushes will pass from one contact surface to another while the said circuit breaker, contacts are separated.

7 In an ignition system for internal combustion engines, the combination with a contact breaker, provided with separable con tacts, of an alternating device interposed between said contacts and said electrical source, and comprising a rotary part provided with a plane contact face provided with a contact'portion of unequal diameters, extending on opposite sides of, the axis'of rotation of said rotary part, and a contact portion surrounding the first mentioned contact but insulated therefrom, each of said contact portions being provided with an annular contact face on the periphery of the rotary part, a pair of brushes engaging said plane contact face, and disposed so as to engage difi'erent contact portions thereof, and brushes engaging said annular contact surfaces, one set of said brushes being connected respectively with the separated contacts of the circuit breaker and the other set of brushes being provided with means for connectin them with the opposite poles of a source 0 electricity.

8. In an ignition system for internal com- I bustion engines, the combination with a contact breaker, provided with separable contacts, of an alternating device interposed between said contacts and said electrical source, and comprising a rotary part provided with a plane contact face provided with a contact portion of unequal diameters, extending on opposite sides of the axis of rotation ofsaid rotary part, and a contact portion surrounding the first mentioned contact but having its inner edges separated from the adjacent edges of the first mentioned contact by insulation, and having an annular contact face on the peri hery of said rotary part, a plate insulated rom said last mentioned contact portion having an annular contact surface on the periphery of said rotary part, and being electrically con nected with said first mentioned contact, a pair of brushes engaging the plane face of said rotary part, and being located so as to engage different contact portions thereof at all times, and a second pair of brushes engaging said annular contact portions, one pair of said brushes being connected each to one of the separable contacts, and the other pair of brushes being provided with means adapted to connect them to the opposite poles of a source of electricity.

9. In an ignition system for internal combustion engines, the combination with a contact breaker provided with a pair of movable contacts, and means for actuating both of said contacts in opposite directions to separate them of an alternator, having parts electrically connected with said contacts, and parts provided with means for connecting them with the opposite poles of a source of electricity, for alternately reversing the direction of current from said electrical source through said contacts, whereby the deterioration of said contacts is prevented and uniformity and intensity of the sparks in the secondary circuit are secured.

10; In an ignition system for internal combustion engines, the combination with a contact breaker provided with a non rotary part, a pair of movable contact arms pro- -vided with contacts, means for normally .holding said contacts inengagement and a rotary part adapted to be driven by the en gine for simultaneously operating said cam and the rotary part-of the alternator, said cam and said rotary alternator part being secured to said shaft in such timed relation that the brushes connected with said separable contacts will pass from one set of contact surfaces to another while said contacts are separated.

11. In an ignition system for internal combustion engines, the combination with a casing, and a shaft rotatably mounted therein, of a contact breaker for the primary circuit, comprising a non-rotary part secured in said casing, a pair of movable contacts carried thereby, yielding means for holding said contacts in closed relation, and an alternator for reversing the direction of the primary circuit through said contacts, comprising a rotary alternator disk Within Said casing provided with a plane contact face having alternating contact surfaces, and peripheral contact surfaces, each connected with alternate contact surfaces on said plane surface, brushes carried by a non-rotary part connected with said casing, for engaging adjacent alternating contact surfaces of said disk, and electrically connected each with one of said separable contacts, and brushes carried by said casing, engaging said peripheral contact surfaces of the disk, and each provided with means adapted to connect it with one pole of a battery.

12. In an ignition system for internal combustion engines, the combination with a contact breaker, comprising a rotary part and a non-rotary part, one of said parts being provided with separable contacts, and the'other with a cam for separating said contacts, of an alternator for alternatelyreversing the direction of the primary circuit through said contacts comprising a rotary part and non-rotary brushes engaging the same, certain of said brushes being separately connected electrically with the said contacts and the others of said brushes being provided with means adapted to connect them separately with the opposite poles of a battery, a distributor for the secondary circuit comprising a rotary part, and nonrotary contacts for engaging the same, provided with means adapted to connect them with the several spark plugs, and a rotary shaft adapted to be operated by the engine for supporting and'rotating the rotary parts of thecontact breaker, alternator,-and distributer, the rotary parts of the contact electricity to breaker-and alternator being timed so that the direction of the primary current will be reversed while said separable contacts are in separated relation.

13. In an ignition system for internal combustion engines, the combination with a single induction-coil provided with primary and secondary windings, and a spark plug in circuit with the said secondary winding, of a contact breaker operatively connected with and operated by the engine and provided with separable contacts, and means for intermittently separating the same, an alternator in circuit with said contacts and constructed to reverse the direction of current passingbetween said contacts, a source of electricity and circuit connections between said source of electricity and said alternator, in circuit with said primary coil, whereby the reversal of'the direction of the current between said contacts will not effect the reverlsal of the circuit through said primary co1 14. In an ignition system for internal combustion engines, the combination with a single induction coil provided with primary and secondary windings, and a spark plug in circuit with the said secondarywinding, of a contact brcaker operatively connected with and operated by the engine and provided with separable contacts, and means for intermittently separating the same, an alternator provided with brushes in circuit with said contacts and with a rotary part provided with brush engaging contact faces for reversing the direction of the current between said contacts, said rotary part being operatively connected with the engine in predetermined rlation with the circuit breaker, an external source of electricity and circuit connections extending from one pole of said source of electricity to the primary c il, from the other pole of said source of one of the contact surfaces of the alternatorfand from the other contact surface of the alternator to said primary coil, whereby the reversal of the direction of the current through the said contacts will not effect the reversal of the current through the primary winding. a

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature, in the presence of two witnesses.

. FRANCIS R. HOYT.

Witnesses BUTLER B. ADnLsoN, E. W. WYATT. 

